Two plead guilty in Montee Ball assault

Posted by Ben Kercheval on December 19, 2012, 9:46 PM EDT

AP

Back in August, three men allegedly connected to an attack on Wisconsin running back Montee Ballwere arrested and charged with substantial battery. On Wednesday, two of those men — 21-year-old Wendell J. Venerable and 22-year-old Robert A. Wilks — pleaded guilty to those charges.

Ball, a senior Doak Walker Award winner, suffered a concussion and a bruised jaw in the assault and missed the first week of preseason camp. A witness to the attack reported to police that he heard something along the lines of “one down, nine to go” by one of the assailants, possibly in reference to other UW football players.

The original police report stated Ball was attacked by five individuals. Ball has stated multiple times he did not know the identities of the assailants or why he was attacked. Police then looked into a possible precipitating event — a late July fight at a party involving two members of the Wisconsin football team — to see if there was a connection or motive.

Apologies to Ball. I thought his story sounded fishy. Apparently I was wrong. Glad he is innocent.

suprmous says:Dec 20, 2012 12:50 AM

I’m glad to hear the truth finally came out. It’s this type of thing that really irks me about those that want to cause problems for others. There’s no sense in things like this and I realize all too well that by the time kids get to college they should be old enuff to be responsible but there’s some that just don’t care still while others want to make something of themselves. It’s a good day in the neighborhood when the ruffins are dealt with and shown the error of their ways. Montee Ball’s one hellva good guy and didn’t deserve this. May he be able to go on to bigger and better things.

Just as suprmous posted, it is glad to have the truth finally come out. Montee has truly peformed extraordinarily this season. He will do well in whatever he does.

As bad as this was, I am glad it was not worse and that those responsible are coming to answer for what they did.

ibijake–it is sad to say things like this happen and we don’t want to believe they do, but I have seen them happen to athletes in my area, but they were not high profile like Montee and only the local papers had anything on it.

Best to Montee in the future. Hopefully, these thugs have a change of mind and behavior.

friarjack61 says:Dec 20, 2012 9:43 AM

College students attacking/mugging someone.
Just what character deficit do these so called students share ? I would be interested in know their majors……and, if they complete their education, who the heck would hire these thugs ?